UPDATES to follow at end of story.
UPDATE #1 -0921 EDT
UPDATE #2 - 0930 EDT
UPDATE #3 - 0944 EDT

See also: LA Times Obama-Rashid Khalidi Video: $175,000 Reward Offered for Tape for the latest news on the Obama-Khalidi video the LA Times refuses to release.

http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2008/10/la-times-obama-rashid-khalidi-video-175000-reward-offered-for-tape/

“Israel has no God-given right to occupy Palestine.”

Remember when the LA Times circulated a memo telling its reporters not to write about John Edwards being caught with his mistress–in LA? [John Edwards-Rielle Hunter Love Child: LA Times Censors Reporters on Story]. The Times refused to inform its readers of the news until Edwards gave the struggling paper his okay by confessing on ABC’s Nightline.

The LA Times is continuing this recent tradition of deciding which news which doesn’t fit its editorial room political views it will allow its readers to see.

However, highly-reliable blogger, Doug Ross has a RED ALERT: Two Quotes from the Obama-Khalidi Video the LA Times won’t release. DBKP worked with Ross on the John Edwards scandal story and he’s proved careful and reliable in the past–both in his use of sources and in his reporting.
From Ross’ usually-reliable LA source:

Saw a clip from the tape. Reason we can’t release it is because statements Obama said to rile audience up during toast. He congratulates Khalidi for his work saying “Israel has no God-given right to occupy Palestine” plus there’s been “genocide against the Palestinian people by Israelis.”
It would be really controversial if it got out. That’s why they will not even let a transcript get out.

To which Ross replies: “Yep, I guess that would do it”
The McCain campaign and conservative websites have called upon the Times to release the video.
The Times has given four different reasons–thus far–for keeping the video hidden from its readers.

The LA Times can look no further than this latest episode of political censorship for reasons it’s in a death spiral.
Who wants to spend hard-earned cash on a newspaper that won’t print inconvenient political news?

At least LA sales of the National Enquirer should continue to climb at the expense of the LA Times.

UPDATE #1 - 0921 EDT
Why does the video matter? Why is it important?
Because Obama has portrayed himself as a strong friend of Israel. Of course, Obama had also previously portrayed himself as a strong friend of sticking to public financing of his campaign.
From Rashid Khalidi Referred to Arafat’s PLO As ‘We’:

Obama’s relationship with Khalidi has become an issue because during his campaign for president, the Illinois senator has portrayed himself as strongly pro-Israel.
Khalidi has denied being a spokesman for the PLO during his years in Lebanon, when he taught political studies at the American University of Beirut in the second half of the 1970s and the early 1980s.

During that period, the PLO was based in the Lebanese capital, having been expelled from Jordan after an abortive attempt to topple King Hussein. In Beirut Arafat’s group established a “state within a state” taking over entire residential areas, setting up roadblocks, and extorting protection taxes. The PLO became a party to Lebanon’s civil war, backing Muslims against Maronite Christians.

Another associate whom the Obama campaign would like to keep quiet. The campaign has had help from the AP and New York Times in tamping down the Bill Ayers damage.

Now, the campaign is getting help from the LA Times. But pressure is building on the Times to ‘fess up.

UPDATE #2 - 0930 EDT
Fox News writes about the Videotape of Barack Obama You Won’t See on the News Is Making News.

The McCain camp has now joined those demanding The Los Angeles Times release a 2003 video that shows Barack Obama celebrating with a group of Palestinians hostile to Israel.
Peter Wallsten wrote in April about Obama’s association with former Palestinian operative Rashid Khalidi. The celebration was a farewell for Khalidi as he left Chicago for a job in New York. Wallsten called Khalidi a, “critic of Israel and advocate for Palestinian rights.”

He says, “A special tribute came from Khalidi’s friend and frequent dinner companion, the young State Senator Barack Obama… Obama reminisced about meals prepared by Khalidi’s wife… and conversations that had challenged his thinking.”
Wallsten writes that a young Palestinian read a poem accusing the Israeli government of terrorism. Another speaker likened Israeli settlers on the West Bank to Usama bin Laden.

Hmmm….
UPDATE #3 - 0944 EDT
Maggie Thornton on Fox News’ Shep Smith, Israel and Joe the Plumber: What Joe the Plumber Knows that Shep Smith Ignores: Israel

Somewhere today at a McCain rally, a Jewish senior citizen stepped up to the Mike and told Joe the Plumber that he thought a vote for Obama was a vote for the death of Israel. Joe said he could agree to that.
The story has morphed into Shepard Smith’s (Fox News) indignant outrage directly at Joe the Plumber. How dare Joe put that dangerous idea in the heads of silly Americans. Joe said he had his opinions, and McCain could have his and Americans can research and make up their own minds.

Smith did his best to skewer Joe and intimated that Joe’s opinions were formed from the “hateful things spread all over the internet.” Smith shook his head in dismay and disgust and basically declared that Obama has taken up the mantle of the Jewish struggle and no one could be more concerned about Israel than Obama and, oh yes,…he quoted Obama: “nothing is more important than the U.S. friendship with Israel” and then Smith said “Obama would back Israel every moment of every day.” View the video at the end of this article.

Seems like if the LA Times would release the Obama-Khalidi tape, Smith could update his quotes.

http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2008/10/obama-khalidi-tape-blogger-obtains-quotes-from-hidden-video/